New program lets motorists pay Detroit traffic tickets at suburban Wayne County district courts

Jul. 15, 2013

Michigan's 36th District Court has had difficulties in collecting fees and other costs related to parking violations, civil infractions, misdemeanor traffic, drunken-driving violations, and other misdemeanor violations, about $254 million according to their records in Detroit on Monday, Feb. 20, 2013. / ROMAIN BLANQUART/ Detroit Free Press

A new program is giving people with outstanding traffic tickets in 36th District Court an option to pay them at suburban Wayne County district courts as officials with the financially troubled Detroit court work to improve collections rates.

The Out County Collections Program launched earlier this month in a limited capacity but is expected to roll out more widely this week.

“This is to be an accommodation to the public,” said Judge Michael Talbot, special judicial administrator for 36th District Court.

“On any given morning, you will see people lined up to try and pay their tickets, because I’ve only got so many cashiers and so many folks that can help them,” Talbot said.

All the district courts in Wayne County have been invited to participate in the voluntary program.

Talbot recommended calling ahead before going to a suburban court to pay a Detroit traffic ticket.

“Most of the individuals involved … have got matters pending in two courts, so the idea is rather than two visits, you can accomplish everything in one visit,” he said.

Matthew Sawicki, court administrator at 17th District Court in Redford Township, said employees there will allow anyone to pay outstanding traffic tickets, regardless of whether the person has other matters pending in the court.

Officials already have let people in that community know about the program — both on their website and at the courthouse — and Sawicki said some have taken advantage of it.

“The idea is that we just really want to assist Detroit with their collections,” he said. “By assisting them, we’re helping ourselves out.”

That’s because the collecting court splits its share of the fines and costs 50-50 with 36th District Court. Another portion from the ticket goes to the state and is not divided with the courts.

“It’s a win-win for our community. It’s a win-win for the person that’s trying to take care of their driving record and it’s a win-win for Detroit as well,” Sawicki said.

But not everybody agrees.

“The court needs every dollar,” said Robert Davis, chief negotiator for AFSCME — the municipal employees union — members at 36th District Court. “We don’t need to be contributing to other courts’ general fund. We need those funds.”

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He wants to see court officers and bailiffs utilized to collect money instead.

It’s unknown how much money the court will collect from the new efforts, but 36th District has more than $200 million in unpaid fees and other costs related to parking violations, civil infractions and misdemeanor traffic and drunken-driving violations.

The state financial review team’s report of Detroit’s finances issued in February put the court's collection rate on money owed at 7.7%, well below the rate for other courts in the region.

“(The program) should generate more than we’re seeing right now,” said Talbot, who is a Michigan Court of Appeals judge appointed by the Michigan Supreme Court to take control of the court in May.

Detroit 36th District Chief Judge Kenneth King said he doesn’t like giving half the revenues they would get from tickets to other jurisdictions.

“Typically our suburbanites pay their ticket in full,” he said. “It’s our Detroiters that are unemployed or otherwise impoverished that aren’t able to pay their ticket in full.”

The program does not currently work in reverse because 36th District Court is too overwhelmed to process fines for other courts, said Marcia McBrien, Michigan Supreme Court spokeswoman.

Livonia’s 16th District Court also is participating, and Chief Judge Kathleen McCann said she thinks it will help people with suspended licenses.

“I always order people who are driving on a suspended (license) to clear their records as part of a probationary order,” she said. “So it helps me to get them legal again.”

People wishing to contest their matter should still go to 36th District Court to do so, Talbot said.